OUR PEOPLE

SUE CLOTHIERMANAGING DIRECTOR

Sue Clothier is recognised as one of Australia’s leading factual production executives and creative producers. In a career spanning more than two decades in the entertainment industry, Sue has produced or overseen the production of more than 120 hours of original broadcast programming.

In 2010, Sue started Northern Pictures Pty Ltd, a specialist factual production company based in Sydney, Australia.

Previously, Sue was General Manager, ScreenWorld Pty Ltd and Head of TV Factual Production at Becker Entertainment (now ScreenWorld Pty Ltd) and worked on establishing the company as a leading global producer of high-end documentary programs. She oversaw the initial development and production of the popular global science series One Step Beyond for Discovery Networks International. Before joining Becker Entertainment in (1999), Sue was the Production Supervisor of the Indigenous Unit at public broadcaster SBS.

Sue’s many career highlights include the critically acclaimed feature docu-drama directed by Gillian Armstrong, Unfolding Florence: The Many Lives of Florence Broadhurst; Australia’s only official selection at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, the Logie- nominated drama-doc series Darwin’s Brave New World, the SBS series Food Investigators and the ATOM Award winning Best Documentary (Science, Technology & the Environment), The Silent Epidemic.

Accolades for programs Sue has produced include a Silver World Medal (New York Film Festival), Special Jury Award (The Explorers Club Documentary Film Festival), Silver Award (Omni Intermedia Awards), Bronze World Medal (New York Festival 2003) and the Special Jury Award (The Explorers Club Documentary Film Festival).

KARINA HOLDENHEAD of Factual

Karina has a dynamic track record working in both the independent sector and within the national broadcaster and as such has developed a unique sensibility and understanding of the industry and its challenges.

Her career in television started in 1996 within the ABC Natural History Unit. For five years Karina worked on multi-million dollar blue chip productions, including international co-productions between the ABC and BBC. During this time she was also based in Vietnam and Thailand, developing content between Asia and Australia.

Returning to Australia in 2001, Karina became a freelance producer/director working on her own commissions through Becker Entertainment and Beyond.

In 2006 Karina was employed to oversee production of documentary programming for Southern Star Factual making programs through both the Sydney and Singapore offices. In 2009 the department splintered off and became its own fully-fledged company under Fairfax, working alongside the award winning science and natural history producers, Oxford Scientific Films in London.

Karina became Head of Production for Oxford Scientific Films Australia, leading a team of 12 staff in the Sydney office. Responsible for program development and commissioning, Karina was also the Executive Producer in charge of series for both local and overseas broadcasters. Under Karina’s leadership, the company developed the format Go Back to Where You Came From, as well as several AFI nominated documentary series.

Returning to the ABC after ten years in the independent sector, Karina joined the Documentary Department as Commissioning Editor for Science and Natural History, as well as overseeing internal science TV production as the Head of Catalyst. Karina was the Acting Head of Factual and Documentaries in 2012 and Executive Producer of ABC2’s international doc slot – Sunday Best. Her slate included 50 hours of diverse programming from the Life series, Australia: the Time Traveller’s Guide, Making Couples Happy, Desert War, Shark Girl, Super Predator, Save your Life Tonight, Stone Age Mystery, First Footprints, Kakadu, Hello Birdy, Two Men in China and The Outlaw: Michael Howe, to name a few.

In July 2013, Karina joined Northern Pictures as Head of Production and Development. With the company’s expansion as super indie, with offices in Singapore, Beijing, New Zealand and Washington, her role is now to drive blue chip programming for the international marketplace.

CATHERINE NEBAUERHEAD OF NORTHERN PICTURES KIDS

Specialising in kids entertainment, Catherine has had over 20 years experience in the media space in a wide range of roles including channel operations, distribution and as an Executive Producer.

Since joining the Northern Pictures team in September 2014, she has had a programming slate of over 320 episodes commissioned in Australia includingpreschool series Teddies and Hiccup and Sneeze (both co-productions with Singapore) as well as Factual Entertainment series Creature Mania and Most Extreme, Alien Planet Earth. She has recently negotiated a production slate with Nat Geo Kids Latin America and has over 100 episodes in production for delivery in early 2017.

Catherine has served as Executive Producer on a large slate of animated and live action scripted series including Yakkity Yak, Trapped and Casterway as well as game shows Nick Takes Over, Gilli Gilli Guppa and SN:TV which was a local format of UK ratings winner SM:TV staringpopular celebrities Ant and Dec. She has since been developing a slate of live action scripted for Northern Pictures with comedy series Hardball now in development with ABC Me.

Catherine was previously General Manager, SVP, for Nickelodeon Asia where she oversaw distribution, production, programming and marketing. Before moving to Asia, Catherine was the Managing Director for Nickelodeon Australia where she was responsible for launching Nick Jnr., as well as delivering the #1 Channel and online portal for kids.

PETA AYERSASSOCIATE PRODUCER

Associate Producer Peta Ayers has specialised in the research and production of high end long-form documentary for close to a decade.

Since graduating with a university medal from Bond University, Peta has contributed to the production of a string of diverse and highly successful documentaries. In 2005, she co-produced The Pursuit of Excellence with Mark Lewis at Radio Pictures, an irreverent 4 x 1 hour series for PBS and ABC. Following that, she continued with Radio Pictures to develop and associate produce Australia’s first ever independent 3D feature documentary, Cane Toads: The Conquest. The critically acclaimed feature premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010.

In 2011, Peta joined Northern Pictures for production of Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta, an award winning series and ratings hit for SBS. Peta has since spent a year in the wilderness for the production of Kakadu, a first of its kind blue chip documentary series combining the best of natural history and observational documentary.

DAVID HASLINGDENDIRECTOR, BLUE ANT MEDIA

David Haslingden owned and operated the RACAT Group, a global network of television production companies comprising NHNZ, Beach House Pictures, Northern Pictures, Runaway and ZooMoo. The group has operations in the United States, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Europe producing a broad range of television shows, principally in the non-fiction genre. The Group was acquired by Blue Ant Media in May 2017.

Previously, Mr. Haslingden was President and COO of Fox Networks Group (FNG). As the most senior executive of Fox’s network business, he was responsible for all Fox owned channels in the United States and around the World, including the Fox broadcast network, FX, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Fox Sports, Speed and Fuel in the United States, and all Fox, National Geographic, Star and other Fox owned channels in more than 50 countries. In aggregate FNG’s 250+ channels generated over 60% of News Corporations profits in 2012.

Prior to his appointment as President and COO of FNG at the end of 2010, Mr. Haslingden was CEO of Fox International Channels. Mr. Haslingden also served as CEO of the National Geographic Channels business, a worldwide joint venture between News Corporation and the National Geographic Society.

Mr. Haslingden has sat on a number of industry boards in the United States including the National Cable and Telecommunications Association. He was the Chairman of Network Nine in Australia from 2013 to 2016, and Chairman of US charity WildAid from 2008-2016. He is currently a director of Ardent Leisure Group and Blue Ant Media.

TIDO HASLINGDEN, Director of Goodwill (DOG)

Tido joined the company in 2013. He is an accomplished DOG with over 70 (human) years experience in the private sector. As the RACAT Group's DOG, he is primarily responsible for implementing human resource management strategies that enable the company to recruit and retain a high performing and motivated workforce, with their health and wellbeing being a key priority.

Page is a corporate and commercial lawyer specializing in entertainment, communications, media and technology law. She has over 20 years experience in Asia, the United States and Australia advising some of the worlds best known media organisations. Transactions that Page has worked on include those establishing the National Geographic Channel in the United States and elsewhere, the Fox Sports Network in the US and the SKY pay TV platforms in Latin America.

Before joining RACAT, Page was General Counsel at FTA broadcaster Network Ten and Head of Legal at pay TV distributor AUSTAR in Sydney. Her in-firm experience includes as a partner in the New York office of Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells) and Special Counsel at leading Australian law firm Allens.

Page is admitted to practice in Australia and New York and is President of the Australian Communications and Media Law Association.